Second last chapter! This is almost over, sadly. But...I'm already busy on a sequel. Yep a sequel! If you're interested let me know and I'll try to get it done as fast as I can. Hopefully when I post the next chapter I will let you know the title and when I'll post it but it still needs work for now.

Also reviews! Thank you thank you thank you! It really means so much to me knowing that people actually like what I'm writing.

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7- Hope

Horror covered Gwaine's face as he stared transfixed at the fire. Merlin's form was flickering more than ever before, desperately trying to stay aflame. His hand clenched on his sword tighter. Slowly he tore his eyes away from the small fire and glared at the sorceress. She smirked at him, thoroughly enjoying all this, drinking in his reaction. Once again that anger flared up within him drowning out all the other emotions.

"You...You..." He struggled to get his words out, his fury clouding his thoughts.

"Me? Me?" She asked innocently, "I am only doing what I am supposed to be. What are you doing little knight?"

"About to put the end to an evil sorceress," He growled at her raising his sword, completely forgetting that her magic would probably be able to block his attacks easily. He wanted to put an end to her. He wanted to keep his friends safe. He didn't want to stand here helpless when the cause of all this pain was standing right in front of him.

He launched himself at her swinging the sword wildly but only found it stopped as though lodged in an invisible shield. Her eyes glinted maliciously and he stumbled backwards, pulling his sword free with him. This knocked some sense back into him and he dropped any more attempts that came to mind. It would be no use if he got himself killed when his friends needed him. She smiled at his submission.

With a glance back at the fire and Merlin's fading image she told him in mock sadness, "I don't think I can allow poor Merlin to continue with this task. It seems it was too, ah, taxing on him. But I suppose these things cannot be helped. I will only have to find someone else who could help me."

It took a moment for her words to sink in until Gwaine realised what she was saying, in delayed orders. She was telling him that she was finished with Merlin. Did that mean she was going to let it go? No, or if she did then not for long. The short time that he spent in her presence had taught him enough about her character. She would not simply let Merlin go. She would make him suffer for disobeying him and then put an end to his misery, so to speak. Gwaine couldn't make himself think of that so pressed him brain to work faster.

Someone else to help? Who would be stupid enough to help her? She was plain evil. He had thought that Morgana was bad but even she was merely a pawn in this sorceress's game. That's all it was to her: a game which she had all the cards to. And if she was going to replace Merlin then it would surely be by the same means. Sadly there was only one person stupid enough to walk right into her hands and that idiot was standing dumbstruck in front of her.

"Leave him alone" The idiot mumbled weakly then louder and more stronger, "Leave him alone. Stop all of this. Enough is enough sorceress. You can't take any more lives. This ends here!"

The sorceress let out a loud cackle of laughter that resonated of the cave walls, hidden somewhere in the darkness, menacingly. Her small beady eyes fixed on him like a snake sizing up it's prey. He recoiled at her laughter.

"Little knight, you do not know how foolish you sound," She laughed, "You are the most entertaining company I have had in a long while. It almost makes me sad to see you go. Almost." She began to rise to her feet, her old bones creaking and her eyes never leaving his. "What makes this most humorous is the fact that you still believe that there is a chance that I can be stopped. If your dear friend Merlin could not stop me then you, little knight, definitely will not be able to." She was at her full height now and, to his surprise, she was about as tall as he was despite her old, hunched demeanour.

Gwaine gripped his sword uselessly in his hand, unable to prevent the brief fear that swept across his features. She was right. He was a knight. She was a sorceress. What chance did he really have against her? At least he would not go easily. He could not allow her to take control of him when she had already taken one of his friends.

"The only shame," The sorceress let out a dramatic sigh, "is that this control will not be as convincing as Merlin's. As you do not possess magic you will be easier to control and therefore will easily give away your intent. It loses the naturalistic look. But, I suppose, it can't be helped."

"Stay away sorceress," his voice wavered but his hand did not shake when he raised his sword to her.

"Oh, no," She told him calmly, "I first will need a little something from you. Not much. And it certainly won't hurt if you don't want it to. Your sword will not be needed here. I come well equipped." She withdrew from her cloak a small gleaming dagger, the edge of which was still stained a faint crimson.

"Just a little drop of blood and all your worries are over," she said soothingly, advancing.

A faint smile worked itself onto Gwaine's face. Maybe...maybe. She was indeed a powerful sorceress and against her magic he definitely did not stand a chance of stopping her but with a blade. One of the worst things she could have done was to bring a knight back into his own territory. To threaten a swordsman with a blade was a mistake. He backed away from her slowly, silently calculating her speed, their distance apart and her arm reach, keeping just out of range. Her eyes glinted gleefully, obviously taking his retreat as fear- a sure sign that she had easily won this and that he was trapped.

His foot hit the edge of the dome of light. For some reason he felt that he should not step out of it and came to a stop just on the barrier. The sorceress came forwards more slowly now, finding he had nowhere to go. She raised the dagger with a small smile.

In a flash Gwaine had lunged forwards and caught her blade with his and spun the dagger out of her hold in one fluid movement. He used the momentum of the swing to come towards her, so that he could see every detail in her dark eyes and the moment of shock spread upon her face, then pushed himself around her, catching his sword on her upper arm so that he now stood behind her between the fire and left a deep red welt in her cloak.

A roar of rage and pain exploded around the cavern from the sorceress. Gwaine caught a brief glimpse of her eyes flash a pure molten gold before he was thrown backwards through the air. He landed hard on the stone ground, winding him where he fell just behind the fire. The flames only wavered slightly and the images did not stir. His eyes lingered on Merlin's flame which was now burning low and not flickering as much but fading. His vision spun and he blinked stars from his eyes.

"How dare you!" The sorceress roared, all the falsely sweet and taunting tones vanishing from her voice, "You will pay for this. I will make you suffer so much. I will personally make sure you watch all your little friends die and every waking moment is agony! How foolish you are, knight, thinking you can stop me with your small toy swords! I am not so easily defeated. And now...And now you will fall!"

She began to make her way towards him, her eyes crackling with anger and magic. Gwaine shrunk away and fear kept him rooted to the spot. The malice in her eyes told him that she would not show mercy. Her whole presence radiated power and evil. His eyes briefly lingered on Merlin's form and a last wave of anger and determination flared up within him.

His mind raced as he desperately tried to find a way out, to think of something that she had said, something that she had gave away that, unbeknownst to her, would give him an escape. She needed his blood. That was the one thing she had told him but what had she meant to do with it? How? Was it just a simple spell that was spoken? He didn't think so. He wasn't certain but didn't a spell need full concentration? And the sorceress was pretty distracted right now. It couldn't be a spell.

Something else was channelling the enchantment then. He scanned the cavern quickly before his eyes fell back to the approaching sorceress. The cavern was completely empty as far as he could see before the darkness that clung to the walls hindered his view. Nothing that she was using. Maybe something hidden within her cloak? Somehow he doubted it. Her long black cloak hung loosely on her thin frame but there was little way she could have hidden something. So what?

His eyes flicked back to the fire to watch his friends. Arthur was by Merlin's still side and Gauis was trying to revive him. The fire!

This whole place was empty of everything apart from this fire. This fire that was giving off light far beyond it was capable of. Magic. This fire possessed so much magic. Possibly because it was holding a powerful enchantment. It was the only conclusion that had seemed right. Impossible but right. It was his only hope. Last chance.

Putting the two together, he flicked he sword. The sorceress smiled at his failed last attempt to strike which soon turned to a look of pure dread as she saw scarlet drops, which had clung to the sword, sweep into the fire with a faint sizzle and hiss. Instantly the fire glowed a faint gold and burnt higher, crackling louder.

Gwaine gave a cry as Merlin's image vanished but relaxed when he realised the other figures had gone also. Slowly, the fire settled down to the normal orange flames, waving happily as though nothing had happened. Had it worked? He dared not hope.

He raised his gaze to look at the sorceress and found her frozen on the spot, her blank eyes staring unseeingly ahead. He pushed himself back to his feet, grabbing his head as it spun from his movement. He peered at her cautiously. It hadn't been that simple had it? He did not possess any magic. The fire must have already held the spell and magic needed. All he had to do was add the final ingredient. He circled her, looking for any signs of movement to indicate the spell hadn't worked. Nothing. He went back to the fire and faced her.

"Sorceress," He called in a commanding voice, "Lift this spell. Set Merlin free." She did not stir. Gwaine frowned at the ground. His theory was that she would follow his orders as he had added the blood. It had to work that way. For all he knew, Merlin was still in the same conditions, moments from death. Maybe she couldn't alter the spell. He tried again.

"Sorceress," he ordered, "If you cannot lift the spell then tell me how to lift it."

He held his breath hopefully.

"The reversing of the spell is simple," Her voice had changed dramatically. No longer was it hinted with that old bitter tone but a young, soft voice seemed to emanate from somewhere deep within the cave. A voice that was not laden with all that hatred but pure and innocent. The very sound softened his heart for this sorceress. This had been who she once was, long ago. "You need only blood, dear knight."

Gwaine dragged a tired hand over his face. Why must sorcerers always speak in riddles?

"I have already put the blood in the fire."

"Oh, no," She corrected softly, "You need the blood of a sorcerer. Magical blood."

Again. Gwaine heaved a great sigh then pointed out, "Your blood was magical. I have already done what you said."

"Yes, the blood of the caster," She said simply, "You now need the blood of a sorcerer who was victim of the curse."

Gwaine yelled in frustration. He was so close. Why hadn't he put an end to Morgana when he had a chance? Why had he been so weak? Then her distressed face came before him and he knew why. She had been so powerless and fragile. He couldn't take a life. Not like that. Even if she had caused them all so much pain. He bit his lip. How long had passed since he had left the camp so long ago? Was there enough time to find Morgana and break the enchantment in time? Did Merlin have enough time?

Wearily, he retrieved his sword and went to sheath it before glancing at the scarlet liquid that was still clinging to the blade. He reached into his pocket to clean the blade and halted. The cloth! He unfolded it, his excitement making his hands tremble as he did so. Just as he remembered and hoped, dark red spots stained the cloth from what seemed like a life time ago. The blots of blood from when he had tended Merlin. Did it work if the blood wasn't fresh? He decided he didn't care anymore. It would work or he would make it. Carefully, he held the cloth over the fire, just out of the flames reach. He glanced at the sorceress who was still staring at nothing.

"Does this break the spell for all of you?" He asked.

No answer.

"Is that all I have to do? Add the blood?"

"And extinguish the fire." came a faint reply. His heart leaped.

"And then it's over?"

"You will have 7 minutes."

Okay. 7 minutes to get the hell out of here. He could live with that. He unclipped the red cape, which bore the seal of Camelot, from his shoulder and held it in his other hand prepared. Taking a deep breath, he first dropped the cloth with Merlin's blood. Never had he hoped more than ever for his best friend to be magic and the sorceress's words had been true. He didn't care if magic was evil or that it was illegal under payment of death. Merlin was his friend. His best friend. Just let him be okay. Let him live.

No sooner had the flames licked the cloth, the fire exploded in a blinding gold that threw him and the sorceress to the ground as a great gust of air swept the room from the fire. The flames leapt so high that for the first time Gwaine could glimpse the tips of stalactites so far above in the cavern ceiling. It took several moments before the flames finally died down to a reasonable level. Gwaine scrambled forwards with his cape and threw it on the fire, desperately trying to extinguish the flames. He stamped madly until the last ember had flitted into no existence and the cavern was doused in the darkness that it should be.

Beginning to count in his head, he spun around and ran with all his being for the exit in the direction he remembered he had come from. Time ticked away, stretching itself around him as he scurried through the dark cave, scraping himself against he walls and stumbling over his feet and rocks that emerged from nowhere. An inky darkness surrounded him, pressing itself around him so that he couldn't see, couldn't breath.

Suddenly his boot connected with open air. His stomach dropped as he reached for a hand hold, grabbing it only just before he fell too far. He scampered down the side of the cliff, slipping constantly, not stopping until his feet were firmly set on the welcoming grass. His foot had missed the last hold and he had fallen the remaining distance to the ground, jarring his ankle painfully. His hands were smudged with blood and dirt and stung in the open air. Not having time to worry about himself right now, he marched straight for the forest.

The thought of Morgana crossed his mind for a moment. He considered checking on her as no one else would. Then he came back to his senses and shook his head at no one, dismissing the thought entirely.

Limping slightly, he half ran through the trees, not pausing for a moment or looking back, hoping against all hope that he was in time to save Merlin.